Future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers combined for 78 passes Sunday night, but it was the one throw by Julian Edelman that everyone was talking about.

With the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers tied at 17-17 early in the fourth quarter, Edelman executed a trick play to perfection. He hit James White for 37 yards down to the Green Bay 2, setting up White’s 1-yard TD run three plays later to give the Patriots the lead for good en route to a 31-17 home win.

“The timing was perfect and the most important thing about it was that it was well executed,” said Patriots Coach Bill Belichick. “No plays are good if they’re not executed well and that was very well executed by Tom, Julian, James and the offensive line.”

The last time Edelman completed a pass was in the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. With the Pats trailing 28-21, Edelman connected with Danny Amendola on a 51-yard TD pass to tie a game the Patriots went on to win, 35-31.

The stakes weren’t quite as high this time but the Patriots’ offense needed a similar spark. They failed to cash in from inside the 1 early and didn’t cash in on a roughing-the-kicker penalty in the third quarter.

Facing a second-and-6 on Green Bay’s 39, the Pats reached into a bag of tricks.

Brady threw a backward pass to Edelman on the right. He waited for a caravan of blockers to establish their position and tossed a perfect spiral across the field to White, who had a clear path down the sideline until Antonio Morrison tripped him up inside the 2.

“It’s always nice to throw a pass,” Edelman said. “I was a little mad that James didn’t get in the end zone there or else I would have had a better stat line. But we were able to get it in (a few plays later) and that was a real swing for us.”

One of the blockers downfield was Brady.

“You get out in space, I had no idea what was going on,” he said. “I don’t know what’s illegal to hit or dive or cut. I thought there no way the ball is getting to me and the next thing I know, (White) is running behind me. I probably could have a play to get him a touchdown, but you live and learn.”

AT THE START of the fourth quarter, the Patriots looked like they might be in trouble. After failing four times to score and take a lead from Green Bay’s 1, the offense had sputtered.

The Packers ended the third quarter with a promising drive that already had gone 59 yards. With a first down at New England’s 34, the Packers were in range of a go-ahead field goal try for Mason Crosby.

Running back Aaron Jones had already gone 6 yards coming through the left side of the Green Bay line when Lawrence Guy came across to meet him. With his right hand, the veteran defensive lineman hammered at the ball, dislodging it. It took a funny bounce before Stephon Gilmore smothered it.

Guy said they’re always trying to pop the ball loose.

“You do it on every play. Every tackle we make we put emphasis on wrapping up and trying to knock it out,” Guy said. “It was one of those plays you think about all the time.”

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